Love and Lies
by HeatherJS
Summary: "Setting on a path to escape the confines of a very unfitted and boring village life, a young and yet inexperienced Xena ends up joining Athena's elite archers. The Fates soon lead her though to something she didn't even realize she was looking for...Power, passion and danger, they will all entwine unavoidably the moment an adventurous God of War sets his eyes on her..."
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Wanting More

"Make sure you actually finish this time." she heard her mother yell out to her as she left the tavern. She shifted the linen basket to her left side and started on the small walk to the river. She took her time not wanting to get there too fast cause she knew if she finished early her mother would just come up with something else for her to do to keep her distracted.

She laughed to herself at how her mother thought those chores were actually keeping her from thinking about being a warrior. If anything, it had the opposite effect. The tasks she had to do day in and day out just made her even more determined to wanting something more from life. She knew she wasn't cut out for the village life….it was way too boring for her.

She stepped into the clearing and made her way over to the small river. She set the basket down and took a seat on a nearby log. Gazing across the water and just above the tree line she stared at the temple in the distance. She knew who it belonged to and thought about all the warriors who served him in the past including her own father.

A frown appeared on her forehead as she thought about how her father had given his life fighting in battle. Although he had been taken from her when she was seven she knew how much he loved being a warrior and if he had to die, loosing his life in battle was the most honorable way to do it. She briefly closed her eyes at the stream of memories that began invading her mind, just for a minute though before she chased them away, looking down at the basket instead.

"Let's get this over with." she sighed, letting out a deep breath and moved to kneel by the water. She set the wash board in place and began her tedious task. Xena took her time on each article of clothing. She wasn't in a rush to get back. Nonetheless, about half way through, she grazed the hilt of the sword she hidden in there earlier.

A small smile pulled at her lips. She took the sword out of the basket and held it in her hand. She looked from the basket still filled with clothes to the sword and back, as if contemplating her options, as if wondering whether or not she should give in that itch. She once again averted her gaze to the temple in the distance and her mind was made up.

"Looks like it's time for a break." she grinned widely as she pulled the sword out of its scabbard. It was old and worn out and had all the markings from back in the days when it was still heavily used in battle by her father. She moved a few feet away from the river and began twirling the sword around.

She loved the way the blade moved through the air as she fought her invisible opponents. She slashed and swiped the nothingness, and absolutely loved the rush she always got when she practiced with it. It was a thrill she never got doing anything else and she reveled in the feeling. She had a satisfied grin on her face as she got closer to the end of her routine.

"Xena what are you doing?"

Hearing her name broke her out of her movements and she stumbled with the sword, letting it fall out of her grasp and to the ground. She turned around and saw Lyceus standing there, a rather confused expression engraved on his features.

"Lyceus what are you doing here?" she inquired as she bent down to retrieve the sword. She sheathed it and closed in the distance between them.

"Mother thought you could use some help with the clothes"

He looked from Xena to the half full basket then back "and it seems she was right."

Xena furrowed her brow at his last comment. "I was handling it just find thank you." she spat back. "I was just taking a short break."

"That was quite a break."

He was teasing her and she couldn't help but smirk.

"Xena if mother knew you were out here practicing with dad's sword she would get rid of it in a heartbeat"

Her smile quickly faded.

"Well she won't know if you don't say anything." she crossed her arms across her chest. "Besides I was doing my chore. I just needed to let off some excess energy."

"Don't worry she won't hear it from me ." he gave her a soft, reassuring smile and she knew he wouldn't rat her out.

"Well since I'm here I might as well help you finish." he mumbled, making his way over to the basket.

Xena joined him and soon they were finished just in time to head back to town for something to eat. As they got to the tavern and placed themselves at a table with some food, Xena over heard a few people talking about try outs for Athena's elite archers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Lyceus did you hear that?" she inquired, looking at him hopefully. "This could be my chance to do something more."

Her eyes instantly brightened up, overly excited about the idea and silently wondered what exactly she would have to do to actually get the chance and turn her fantasies to reality. Xena slid her chair closer to the conversation to hear better.

"Apparently there are some openings for Athena's elite arches. They say there is a camp just three miles west of here where the new recruits can go and try out." one of the patrons said.

"I've heard that Athena doesn't pick just anyone to serve her and you really have to be something special to even think about the possibility of joining them." the woman said.

"Well I think I got a real shot." she said with confidence. "I've been practicing and training real hard for months hoping that one day an opening will happen and it finally did."

She smiled big knowing that she had this.

"Astra…come on! You do know the only moment an opening happens is when one of them dies right? That's kind of a harsh thing to hope for." the girl said in a disapproving tone.

"It's not like I **want **them to die." she emphasized defensively. "But hey, there lost is my gain."

"Alright, so when do the new recruits have to make contact with the camp?" her friend asked.

"From what I've heard they are meeting tonight, a few hours after sundown. Once there, they will set you up for the night and in the morning they will move to one of Athena's training grounds." Astra informed her friend. "You're going to come too right Flora?"

"I don't know if I'll actually make it but it would be nice to have the chance to try." she said with a smile.

"Then it's settled. Let's go pay the tab and see what else we can find out that will work in our favor."

Both women got up and headed to pay for their meal then left.

Xena's mind was reeling with all the new information she got. This was her chance and she was going to take it. She looked back at her brother and saw the soft smile on his face.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." he grinned more. " I can just see how much you want to do this."

"This is the opportunity I've been waiting for."

She couldn't contain her excitement, but her smile faded in less than a blink when she saw her mother walk out from the back.

"Now I just have to convince mother."

Lyceus turned around at her staring to see their mother walk back into the kitchen.

"Good luck with that."

"Oh no." Xena groaned out as she tried to cover her face with her hand.

"Xena what is it?" he asked her but she quickly shushed him.

"Don't say my name so loud." she peeked over her hand to see if he noticed. "He might hear you."

Lyceus cast her a confused look for a moment and then swiftly turned around to see who she was referring to and he couldn't help the chuckle.

"It's not funny." she barked at him. "Stop laughing you are drawing attention." she peered again at the person in question and saw him glance in their direction. She lowered her head to the table hoping he didn't notice her.

"Oh if you could only see your face righ..." but he stopped talking as the person she was trying to avoid approached the table.

Xena knew at his abrupt pause that they were no longer alone. She squeezed her eyes shut sighing mentally at her bad luck. Still, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible she looked up at their new visitor.

He had a huge grin on his face as he stared down at her. He had been looking for her all morning long and figured he should have started here to begin with instead of wondering around town all day. Now that he found her he just couldn't help but stare. He was completely taken with her. Her soft blue eyes, the way her raven hair was waving over her shoulders in just the right way making him want to reach out and touch it….He always hoped that she would give him the chance to prove himself.

Hearing her voice broke him of his musings.

"You're staring Acacio."

His cheeks flushed as he turned his gaze to the floor. She always made him feel nervous. He looked back up at her and smiled.

"Sorry, I just can't help it."

He saw her uneasiness at his comment. Wanting to gain her affection he brought his hand that he kept hidden behind his back forward revealing the small bouquet of wild flowers.

"These are for you." he said sheepishly.

Xena's eyes widened in shock as she saw the flowers. She turned and looked at Lyceus, irritated to notice that amused look on his silly face.

He was enjoying the romantic scene unfolding before his eyes way too much for her liking. She turned back to Acacio and gave him a soft smile. She reached out and took the flowers from him.

"Thanks." she said with no real emotion behind it and placed them on the table without a second thought. She looked back at her brother and noticed he was trying to hide his laughter. He was going to pay for this later.

"I was wondering if I could join you?"

There was a lot of hope in his voice, Xena quickly realized, and looking up she could clearly see the eagerness in his eyes.

"Actually I have something's to do."

She mentally praised herself for not getting rid of the clothes basket immediately when they got back. She reached down and patted the basket by her feet.

"If I don't finish this mother will kill me."

And she was right about to get up and retrieve the basket when he stopped her.

"Oh maybe I can help you. It will be faster with two people." he stated. He bent down and picked up the basket.

Xena couldn't believe her luck. She reached out and tried to take the basket from him.

"No, it's quite all right I have it under control."

She pulled on the basket but he wouldn't let it go. "I'm sure you have things to do."

"I have nothing of importance to do at the moment." he said while grinning at her and pulling the basket back towards him.

It was a tug of war with the basket for a few moments until a hard tug from Acacio caused Xena to lose her grip on it and it tilted over. The clothes tumbled to the ground along with her father's sword that was hidden inside it.

"Xena I'm sorry. Here let me."

He bent to pick up the clothes and noticed the sword among them. He went to pick it up when Xena quickly snatched it from his grasp.

"Don't touch that." she said with a hint of anger in her voice.

He threw her a puzzled look. "Why do you have that amongst your clothes?"

The look in his eyes suddenly changed when he put the pieces together to that of an amused one.

"Are you back on being a warrior again?" he laughed at her as he said it. "Oh come on Xena do you really think the God of War is going to let a woman be one of his warriors? Besides, war is no place for a girl, you belong here."

Xena felt her rage grow at his comment. Who did he think he was talking to her like that. Telling her what she could and couldn't do. She cocked her head at him and gave him a deadly stare. "I'll have you know there is more than one way to become a warrior."

He continued to laugh and that only angered her more. He reached out to touch her and she stepped out of his reach. "You might want to rethink that idea if you still want to keep that arm." she spitted in a venomous voice.

He could see that she had meant it and he retracted his hand. She glanced at Lyceus for a moment and then quickly made her way out of the tavern.

She walked in no particular direction and was just trying to calm herself from what had just happened. She had put up with his presence for long enough and after today she was done with him. She took her eyes off the ground and looked up. She stopped walking for a moment and looked around her at the dense forest. She wasn't sure where she was going but felt the need to continue forward.

She stepped out of the tree line and her eyes widened as she realized where she was. She was now standing outside the temple for the God of War. She had never been that close before and she shivered a little as she looked at the massive structure. She took a few cautious steps towards it.

**" **_**Do you really think the God of War is going to let a woman be one of his warriors?"**_ she replayed his words in her head. Maybe all the War God needed was a little encouragement for that to happen she thought to herself.

"Now how does one go about getting his attention." she said out loud.

She looked down at the blade in her hands and she got an idea.

She was going to offer the God of War her father's sword and with a few carefully worded statements, she hoped it would be enough to get him to notice her offering. Then maybe she could prove everyone wrong and show them that the God of War could have a woman as a warrior. She made her way to the steps of the temple and walked up them until she reached the doors then stopped and stared at them. She took a deep breath and was about to enter when she heard her name.

She turned around to see Lyceus coming towards her. She walked away from the doors and met him at the bottom of the temple steps. "Lyceus what are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you so I followed you." he looked at her with compassion.

"I'm fine. Just needed to get some fresh air."

She was trying to sound as if what Acacio had said had no effect on her but she knew Lyceus would see through her front.

"Xena, Acacio doesn't know what he is talking about and I'm sure the God of War would jump at the chance to have you as one of his warriors." he said with a sweet, candid smile.

She smiled softly at his comment. He was the only one who never tried to talk her out of trying to be a warrior like their father.

"Now you got to try and convince mother to let you go to that camp." he said with encouragement. He held his hand out to her.

"Easier said than done." She slipped her hand in his and they began to walk back to the tavern.

Xena turned her gaze back at the temple behind them as they reached the tree line. Looking at it she felt something stir in her but wasn't sure what it was. She turned back towards Lyceus and they continued on their journey back home.


	3. Chapter 3

Xena helped out her mother for the rest of day in the tavern. She thought that if she put in a good effort around there she might be more open to her request. She was biding her time for the right moment, silently praying to catch her in a good mood.

The sun had just set well over an hour now and she hoped she wasn't too late to join up at the camp. It was slow at the tavern that night, so she could have easily made it if she left soon. She watched her mother as she made her way around the room. Seeing her go back into the kitchen, she quickly walked back there to get it over with already.

The moment she entered the small room though, she saw that Toris was there and mentally cursed her luck; she certainly didn't want an audience and she knew he wouldn't support her crazy idea. He was as much against her being a warrior as their mother was. As she didn't see any other solution though, she decided to take her chances so she stepped further into the room.

Cyrene looked up at her as she neared.

"Xena…. you have been such a great help today!" she gave her a warm smile as she moved some dirty plates to a back corner, but even engaged in that activity she immediately noticed her daughter's hesitant posture. "Is there something on your mind, dear?"

Xena wasn't sure how she should go about the subject, so she consequently thought that being up front about it might just do the trick. Looking at her mother's inquisitive gaze she jumped right in.

"Well….I heard that Athena was having try outs for her elite warriors and I wanted to know if it was ok with you if I went and tried out." she had the most hopeful look on her face as she stared at her mother. But it faded quickly as she saw the look on her face.

"Xena I thought you had put these silly fantasies of you being a warrior to rest."

Judging by her expression, she couldn't believe they were back on that subject again. "Besides, you don't need to be going off and trying out for some God. There is plenty to do around here."

Xena saw that she was quickly losing the battle. She quickly figured that she should act fast and be as convincing as she could be.

"But mother don't you see? This is my chance to do something with my life. I'm not cut out for this village life." she looked at her with pleading eyes.

"You are far too young to be having these notions in your head." she was getting angry now.

"Too young? Mother I'm 16 and in the spring I'll be 17. I'm not a child anymore." she was hoping to get her to see her point but she knew that look. Her mind was made up and it would be nearly impossible to change it.

"That's enough of that talk. You're not a warrior Xena, you think you are but you're not." She then moved closer and placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. That was the last thing that Xena needed.

"You don't even know how to use a weapon."

Xena started shaking her head. "No I've been practicing with father's sword and I'm really.." but her words where cut short.

"You've been sneaking your father's sword out of the house and been practicing with it?" she said in an accusing tone.

"Xena how many times have I told you not to mess with your father's weapons and gear?"

She had a disappointed look on her face.

"Mother it's not what you think.." but she was interrupted again.

"Not what I think? Xena I've clearly told you not to touch that stuff! You could severely injure yourself so get those warrior fantasies out of your head!"

That being said, she simply backed away from her, shaking her head disapprovingly.

She could tell she was losing this battle and mentioning using her father's sword had not helped her cause.

"Can't you see I'm meant to do so much more?" Xena protested, stubbornly clinging to one last hope.

"More?" she said with shock "Xena there is a lot more you can do around here you don't have to join anything to do that. Besides what about Acacio?"

"Acacio?" she gave her mother a puzzled look. "What does he have to do with this?"

"He is such a fine young man and would make a great husband."

At her mother's observation, Xena just stared back at her with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"You can't be serious?" She just couldn't believe her mother was bringing him up.

"And why not? He's a strong, young man and he likes you. You two could have such a great life together."

In her turn, Cyrene hoped that a miracle would happen and Xena would get to see all that she had in front of her and finally put those silly ideas of hers to rest.

"He's not exactly someone I see myself with." she gave her mother a disgusted look. "You just don't understand that this life is not for me and by joining Athena's warriors I can do so much more."

All that vain talking wasn't working in her favor and she knew there was nothing to change her mother's mind now.

"No Xena. I've already lost a husband to one God, and that only happened because he thought he had to fight for it and I am not about to lose a daughter to another one because she thinks the life she has now is boring."

She was really upset with her now and she could tell by her hasty gestures that their conversation was over.

"Mothers right Xena. We've been through enough already with father's death. You need to stop these musing and start focusing on what's important."

She turned towards Toris and gave him a steely glare.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion Toris. This is between me and mother." she told him in a clipped tone.

"Don't get angry with your brother Xena." she told her in a stern voice. "This topic will no longer be discussed and I don't want to hear you mention anything else about it."

Xena just shook her head not wanting to accept it. "As for your father's things I see now that keeping them here was a bad decision."

"What are you saying?" Xena had a good idea about what she meant but she wanted to hear her say it.

"I think it's best if I finally get rid of all of it." Xena was taken back a little by her words and knew for certain that she would do exactly that.

"Mother you can't do that." she tried to reason with her but saw there was no changing her mind.

"My mind is made up Xena and first thing tomorrow I will take them to the blacksmith to dispose of."

She was angry at her mother for doing this.

"I think it's best if you turn in for the night." her mother continued, glaring daggers at her.

Xena knew that it wasn't a request but a demand. She stared at her mother for a couple of moments, doing her best to control that anger she was feeling from the whole situation. She shifted her gaze to Toris and saw the slight smirk he had on his face. That only enraged her more.

Not wanting to say something she might regret later, she clenched her jaw and turned to leave. She headed for her bedroom where she decided to contemplate the rest of her options.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Xena just sat in her bed fuming from what had just happened. Why couldn't her mother see that she was meant to do this? She didn't want this opportunity to pass her by and given that life rarely offers second chances, she knew she had to take advantage of it. She knew what she had to do now. Her family may not approve with her decision, but she was going to take her chance whether they liked it or not.

It was late now. A bit too late then she wanted it to be in order to make it to the camp in time. But she had to wait for everyone to go to bed first. When she finally heard her mother's door close she waited a while longer to make sure everyone was asleep. Getting out of bed she made her way to her own door. She opened it quietly and peered out into the darkness of the hall.

Seeing that everything was clear she made her way to her mother's door. She listened to make sure she was indeed asleep and when she heard nothing she opened the door. Xena glanced for a moment at the bed where her mother was lying and made her way over to a closet. She opened it as quietly as possible, hoping not to accidentally wake up her mother. She blindly shifted through the items in there until she found what she was looking for.

Hearing movement, she glanced back at her mother thinking she had been caught. She let out a silent breath when she noticed that she was just switching positions in bed. She looked down at the sword in her hands and gripped it tightly. She certainly wasn't going to stand there doing nothing, simply allowing her mother destroy it. She looked back into the closet and grabbed the bits of armor that her father used to wear as a solider.

Gathering everything together, she made her way back towards the door. Seeing her mother stir a little, she froze. That was it, she had been caught…. the argument was coming. When nothing happened, she slowly turned her head towards the bed and relaxed. She just couldn't believe her luck! Her mother was still sound asleep, so she quietly made it to the door. As she began to open it, the door squeaked. She looked back at her mother to see if the small noise had woken her. Seeing she was still in the clear, she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

She let out the breath she had been holding for awhile now, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking down at her newly acquired items, she smiled. Now all she had to do was make her way to the camp. She went back into her room to grab a saddle bag to put the armor in and fastened the sword to her back.

A few minutes later, she quietly made her way down to the kitchen where she began to pack herself some provisions for her journey. Hearing the door open up behind her, she turned around with a jolt, just to discover her brother standing there. Seeing that it was Lyceus, she relaxed a little.

"It's late. What are you doing out of bed?" she asked him.

He chuckled a little. "I could ask you the same thing." he moved further into the room.

"Are you going somewhere Xena?" he inquired, casting a curious glance at the bag in her hand.

Xena looked down at the bag and then back up to meet her brother's eyes. Out of everything, she only hated that she had to leave him behind. She shifted and turned her gaze to the floor.

"You're going to go join up with that camp aren't you?"

It was more of a statement then a question. He knew how much she wanted this.

"Yes" she said softly, looking at him again, hoping that he wasn't angry with her and to her amazement, she saw understanding in his eyes.

She watched as he walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. She returned it and she heard him whisper in her ear. "I'll miss you."

She couldn't help the few tears that rolled down her cheeks. She hugged him tighter before finally pulling back from their embrace. He brought his hand up and brushed away her tears and they laughed a little at the situation.

"I'll try to visit as much as I can." she gave him a soft smile and turned to finish loading up her bag.

They made their way to the entrance of the tavern and stood there for a couple of seconds more. Xena stepped out and turned back to her brother. She walked back over and pulled him into another hug.

"You be good for mother now, you hear me?" she pulled back so she could look at him.

"Don't worry about me Xena I'll be fine." he answered on a very brave tone, smiling widely. "Now it's time you get going before you miss your chance for good."

She laughed at his statement and moved to set out towards the camp. Once she was at the edge of town she turned back around and took in the village she had called home. She took in all the buildings and all the memories she had from her time here. She switched her gaze to the temple of Athena that was in the middle of town. Seeing that one made her mind drift to another gods temple.

She turned towards the east where the temple of the God of War was rising towards the sky. She took a few steps in that direction feeling the pull she always got when she looked at it. She was going to be a warrior, just like her father, no doubt about it. It may not be for the same God but she was going to do it. She smiled as she headed in the opposite direction. She didn't know what fate she would get when she arrived but she knew there was no turning back now.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was getting late in the night as Xena continued to walk. She wasn't sure how much further she had to go before she reached the camp. The two girls back at the tavern earlier today had said something about three miles or so, but to all appearances they must have been wrong. She felt like she had been walking forever. Plus, the night was growing colder and if she didn't find it soon she would be force to make camp there and miss her chance.

That was definitely something she didn't want to do, so she decided to keep heading in the direction she was going. She thought about what the girls had said earlier about them moving to one of Athena's training grounds and it hit her. If they were going to be moving there in the morning, then they must be camped close by it. She changed her direction a little to the north.

She knew she wasn't far from that training ground and if her instincts were right then she should be there within an hour. After heading on her new route for a short while she began to hear voices up ahead. Finally, after wandering in the dark for hours, she made it to the camp. Xena looked around and took everything in. There were quite a few tents set up around the clearing- obviously meant to house the new recruits. Some of Athena's warriors were going through drills with each other a few yards away from her and she couldn't help the excitement she felt as she watched them.

They seemed to parry and block the others' attacks effortlessly. Xena knew she could handle her own but watching them in action only made her want to become even better with a sword. This was it, she could feel it. A smile pulled at her lips….she knew she had made the right choice…. She was so engulfed in watching the warriors practice that she didn't realize that she was no longer alone.

"Hello there! You must be here to try out." came a soft voice from behind her. Xena turned around to see who it was and came to face one of Athena's warriors. She took in the appearance of the dark haired warrior. Her armor was made out of a grey leather warrior dress that fell just above her knees. She had matching arm bands and gauntlets. She carried a bow and a set of arrows on her back and a sword rested on her left hip.

"Yes, my name is Xena." she reached out her hand and they clasped arms. The warrior began to lead Xena away from the others that were already training and led her to the tents.

"Alright Xena, we are camping here for the night and as soon as the sun rises we plan to move to Athena's training grounds to better assess all the new comers."

She quietly led her into one of the tents. "This is where you will be staying for the night. You will have to share the tent with a few others but that shouldn't be a problem. Make yourself comfortable."

She gave her a small smile and left the tent.

Xena stared around the tent and saw that some of the beds were already occupied by a few others. She made her way around to one of the empty cots and got herself set up for the night. She began to hear voices enter the tent and looked up to see two women walk in and head in her direction to the two empty cots near her.

"Hello there. When did you get here? I don't remember seeing you earlier." the girl with the light brown hair asked her.

"I've just arrived." Xena answered her. She looked at them both and saw that the one who asked her the question seemed friendly but her friend was staring at her with utter disinterest.

"Just arrived? Cutting it kind of close there, aren't we." the dark haired girl spat at her. Xena could tell that she might be a problem.

" Come on Astra, there is no need to be rude. We are all here for the same reason." her friend said, turning back to Xena and giving her a soft, reassuring smile. "Don't mind her she just takes everything too seriously."

"Well excuse me for taking this seriously. I actually want to make it." she huffed at her friend and walked over to her own cot.

She just shook her head and turned back to Xena. "My name is Flora, what's yours?"

"Xena." she said as she watched Astra walk back over to them.

"Well Xena, welcome. Do you have any experience or are you just going to wing it tomorrow? " She liked this new girl and she hoped that maybe they could become friends if they both made it.

"Yes I do have some experience with swords." Xena replied, instantly noticing Astra's inquiring gaze and looked to where she was staring. She saw that she was eyeing her father's sword.

"Is that your sword?" Astra asked her. She couldn't take this girl serious with a sword like that. It looked like it was scrap metal.

Xena didn't like the way she was looking at her father's sword. She picked it up and held it in her lap. "Yes this was my father's sword, he died in battle. He fought many battles with it. It saved his life many times." Xena smiled fondly at the sword.

"Not enough apparently. Just look at it. It's old and ragged. He couldn't have been that great a warrior." Astra bit back, and despite her best efforts, Xena was starting to get angry with her.

"Astra!" Flora glared at her friend not believing that she had just said that. She turned to Xena with an apologetic look.

"My father was a great and loyal warrior. He served many years for Ares, God of War. He lead and fought in his army." Xena told her annoyed. She didn't like the way she was talking about her father.

"Ares, God of War… Wow, I'm impressed. So he wasn't just running around murdering people."

She could see that she was agitating the girl and she liked it.

Xena quickly got off of her cot but Flora stepped in her way to stop her from doing anything. She fought against her for a moment then stopped and just glared at Astra.

"Oh I see the girl has some fire. We'll see how far that temper of yours takes you tomorrow." Astra said, giving her a devilish grin and walking back to her cot to get some sleep.

Xena was furious at her. Who did she think she was to come and judge her family like that? If it wasn't for Flora holding her back she would have certainly given into her anger.

"Xena I'm so sorry about Astra. She really is a nice person. You just have to let her grow on you." she gave her a soft smile hoping she would let it go.

Xena looked at Flora and could see that she meant well but she knew that her and Astra would be anything but friends after today's encounter. She returned her smile and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze. "Thanks. How about we call it a night? "

Flora beamed at her and made her way over to her own cot. Xena climbed into hers and settled down. She thought about the day's events, not quite believing that she was really there. She guessed she should be a little grateful towards Astra since if she didn't over hear her talking she would not know about this. She quickly shook that thought from her head. She didn't deserve her gratitude after what she had said about her father.

Xena turned on her side and shut her eyes. She wanted to be well rested for whatever they had in store for them tomorrow. She wanted to be at her best and since she spent most of the night wandering around in the forest she was going to replenish her energy in a good night's rest. She was one step closer to reaching her goal. A smile appeared on her face as Morpheus soon consumed her.

AN: Just wanted to give a big thanks to Xentrya for all that you have done! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A flash of gold light alerted Athena to the arrival of her brother. She glanced at him for a moment and then redirected her attention back to scene unfolding before her. Some of these warriors were good while others she wondered how they had even managed to find the camp the night before. There were a few that she could tell will serve her well.

Apollo approached her and made a chair appear beside her and sat down.

"So Sis how goes the try outs?" he asked as he looked down at the training ground.

He briefly scanned the area to check if anything held any interest but didn't notice anything worthwhile. There were about twelve groups altogether.

"There are a few promising warriors down there. Some wouldn't last a day as one of my archers but this group over here…." Athena pointed out, directing Apollo's attention to their left about ten yards away from them. "….they have excellent potential."

Apollo followed her observation to a small knit group of about seven women who were engaged in a fight against some of Athena's elite archers. He took note of them one by one and when he got to the fourth one he stopped. His eyes scanned her body from head to toe and he liked what he saw. There was a special kind of fierceness in the way she blocked her opponents' blows again and again.

"That one, over there." Apollo inquired from Athena. "The one with the blue eyes. She is showing some spirit. A rare thing to find these days." He smiled as he watched her. She looked magnificent.

Athena took note of her brother's assessment of the young warrior. She too had noticed that she could be a great asset to her archers. She didn't assume victory before she finished a fight like most of the other ones did. She would bide her time and then strike when the opening presented itself to her.

"Yes she has shown great qualities here today. She has the makings of a great warrior." Athena smiled to herself thinking about how this mortal woman would help her bring her archers to an even more lethal threat when faced.

"Yes she does have great qualities." Apollo repeated but what Athena had meant as a warrior he had obviously meant as a woman. His eyes were glued to her throughout her match. He took in her appearance and the way her body moved. He followed the curve of her legs till they disappeared under the hem of her skirt. He wanted to feel how soft those legs were. He moved his eyes up the rest of her body to her breasts that were raising and falling rapidly from the exertion of the fight. He licked his lips at the sight and continued upward to her face. Her soft blue eyes that seemed to shine with something that he could not pin point were absolutely mesmerizing. And last but not least, her lips…her lips that were just begging him for the attention that he would be more than happy to oblige.

He smiled to himself at this and then Athena broke him from his thoughts.

"That one over there is also a little head strong but a worthy asset if trained correctly." Apollo followed her movement to the woman a few feet away from the one he was engulfed in. He took her in for a second but quickly looked back to the object of his desire.

Athena gave a signal and soon everyone stopped their fighting. Her archers exited the arena and only the recruits were left standing there. She raised from her seat and took in everyone of the recruits.

"As all of you must have heard by now, some of you will not continue after today. I only have room for the best and while some showed great potential others outshined the rest."

As she said that last part, her gaze lingered on Xena for a few seconds.

"The following groups are to be dismissed. Groups five, one, two, ten, eleven, twelve, eight, three, seven and nine. Your services will no longer be needed."

Gasps and sobs could be heard throughout the arena. They suspected that not all would make it but to have so many leave the camp only proved just how hard it was to join in the first place. The eliminated groups were guided out of the arena by some of Athena's archers. The Goddess turned her attention to the two groups that were still standing in front of her.

"Congratulations.. you lucky few now have the honor of serving me and my archers."

"You are all to report for training tomorrow to better assess to where you will fall amongst my troops. I suggest you take this time to rest as tomorrow will not be easy." Athena took in all of their demeanors. Some looked like they could use the rest while others seemed to be ready for that training now. She smiled to herself seeing that the ones who still had some fight left all fell into the group that she had her eye on from the start.

Seeing as they were being dismissed the recruits began to file out of the training ground. Apollo slowly approached Athena while keeping his gaze focused on the dark haired warrior.

"I think you already know who you want. Why put them through more tomorrow?" he asked her wanting to know the answer.

"I need to know that what I saw here today was not just a spur of the moment achievement. They all need to prove their worth. Although some I'm sure will excel tomorrow, no matter what."

She had in mind just who those few would be. Without another word to her brother, she left him there, staring after her warriors.

Apollo watched as his new fixation was leaving the arena. "Oh she is worthy alright." he said to himself. And she would be his, he knew it. **'**_**How could she resist? After all I am a God.' **_he thought, only convincing himself even more of his undeniable advantage and of the slight chance for her to say no. He grinned big as he left the arena in a shower of gold light.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Apollo watched her in excitement for the rest of the day. He patiently waited until she was alone. She finally broke away from a few of the other girls and made her way into the forest. Apollo followed behind her curious to where she was going. They walked into a small clearing in the woods and he watched as she pulled out her sword. He immediately looked around for the cause of such an action, but saw nothing….no immediate threat…

When he refocused his attention back to the raven beauty, he saw that she was going through some drills. He could see why Athena thought she had potential. She certainly took her training very seriously. That's when it hit him… the perfect plan to have her melt in his embrace. The more he watched her, he couldn't help but think how easy it was going to be. Just the right amount of flattery, a few suggestive pointers with her sword and she was going to be putty in his hands. He smiled to himself at the possibilities.

Xena continued to go through the drill with her sword all the while taking in her surroundings. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, but every time she scanned the area she came up with nothing. Still, her flawless senses were telling her that something wasn't quite right but since there was no immediate threat she put it off to being tired from the earlier try outs. She continued to twirl and slash the blade through the thin air as she gradually came to the end of her routine.

With one final thrust at her invisible opponent, she stood there a moment to steady her breathing. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't as it was supposed to be, so she scanned the tree line one last time to see if she had missed something earlier. The sound of clapping behind her caught her attention and she quickly turned around to face her mysterious guest. She raised her sword ready to defend herself. She was puzzled at how he was able to sneak up on her. No one has been able to do that before.

"That was truly stimulating." he gave her a wide grin. He took in her defensive stance and quickly tried to diffuse the situation. "No need to worry I'm not here to harm you." he held his hands up in surrender to further the point. "I was simply...observing." he told her while he gave her a lustful look while his eyes roamed over her body.

Xena didn't know what this man wanted and she didn't like the way he was looking at her. The fact that he seemed to have just come out of nowhere irked her. She didn't like being caught off guard. Seeing that he wasn't posing any immediate threat though, she lowered her sword a little. She took in the surrounding behind him to look for any sign that would explain his sudden appearance but saw none. She refocused her gaze on her new guest.

"Where did you come from?" she asked him, wanting to know just how he had managed to get into the clearing without her noticing.

Apollo simply smiled at her question and chose to ignore it. "What's your name?" he asked her while taking a few steps forward.

"What's yours?" Xena quickly retorted while bringing her sword back up at the sight of him, stepping closer.

Apollo chuckled lightly and once again raised his hands in surrender. "I am Apollo, God of the Sun, Prophecy..." but his words were cut short by her surprised line.

"Apollo?" Xena said more to herself then to him. She lowered her sword at this explanation. That was a good enough reason why he was able to go undetected, he was a God. She thought back to what he said earlier with how he was observing. That's why she felt as though she was being watched. She didn't like the fact that he was watching her.

Seeing that she was lost in thought he smirked to himself and thought _**"She is a beauty even when she is distracted." **_he tried to get her attention. "So I've answered your question… How about you answer mine? "

Remembering that she wasn't alone, she turned her focus back to Apollo. "And what question is that?" she asked him wondering what reason could a god have for showing up.

"Your name." he simply stated.

Xena just regarded him for a moment before answering. "Xena."

"Ah, Xena… what a lovely name." he grinned big at her while closing in the distance. He could see that she was a little apprehensive so he was going to put his plan in motion, without waiting any more time…

"I was taking note of your technique there and it could use a little work." he said while motioning to her sword.

Xena furrowed her brows at his comment. She looked down at her sword then back up to the God before her. "And what would the God of Prophecy and Sun know about sword techniques?" The fact that he started to laugh at her only, irritated her even more. She hated being laughed at.

"Xena… I am a God." he stated, while holding his arms out as if trying to prove that was all the answer she needed. "I may not thrive on it like some of my other siblings do, but I do know a thing or two." he gave her a suggestive grin.

Xena couldn't help but think he meant more than just sword drills. She felt that there was more to the reason of why he was here but she wasn't about to look a gifted horse in the mouth. It wasn't everyday that one would get a visit from a God, let alone have them offer you their help. She knew she was not a master with the sword yet and if Apollo was willing to help her along in that, then she was going to take him up on his offer. Of course she would have preferred someone who could actually mentally challenge her but Apollo might just prove his worth if he wasn't all talk. She could see that he was very cocky when it came to his abilities.

"Alright Apollo, show me what I'm doing wrong." she gave him a slight smirk as she waited for him to begin.

Apollo mentally praised himself at how well his plan was working out. That took less effort then he thought it would have. "First, get into your defensive stance again. I noticed something earlier."

Xena did as he said and stood there with her sword at the ready with her arms extended away from her. She watched as Apollo slowly circled her then made his way behind her.

"Now that's the problem, right there." Apollo whispered in her ear, as he placed his hands on her shoulders and softly caressed them; he couldn't help his intake of breath. He stepped closer to her and began to run his hands down her arms encasing her to him until he reached her hands. _**"Gods she feels amazing." **_he thought to himself as he pulled her closer.

Xena shivered slightly at the contact, she was completely disgusted with him. She didn't like the fact that he was this close. With the way he was touching her she was beginning to understand the reasons of why he was here in the first place and helping her with her sword drills was not one of them. With him holding her arms in place, practically locking her in his embrace, she wasn't sure how she was going to get out of this.

Apollo felt her shiver and praised himself for a job well done. She was melting at his caress and he reveled in it. Being this close to her he could feel how soft her skin was. The scent coming from her hair was driving him crazy as he nuzzled it more. "You smell divinely." he seductively said in her ear while inhaling deep.

Xena craned her neck at his words in the wise attempt to put some distance between them but that only gave him better access to her neck which he quickly took advantage of by placing a small kiss there. Xena huffed and mentally chastised herself for that. The situation was going from bad to worse and that kiss just made her skin crawl. The fact that she could now feel his apparent arousal made her face twist in disgust. She squirmed a little, seeing if she could get free but his grip was firm.

Apollo took her movement as a good sign and began to run his right hand back up her arm to her shoulder where he teased the strap of her dress before moving it to the side while placing another kiss there and nipping her skin slightly. He could hear her breathing heavily and could only think about how much he was going to enjoy this. How good this was going to feel once he had her beneath him. Those thoughts only made his arousal grow more. He began to run his hand down her side ever so slowly wanting to know the contours of her body. He grazed her right breast as he continued to go lower, softly grabbing at the fabric of her dress as he began to pull it up.

Xena was completely sickened by Apollo. But the moment his hand started its descent down her body, she knew she needed to stop him somehow, God or not. She was not about to just let this happen and the fact that he had gotten that wrong impression, only enraged her more. Seeing that the God was too occupied with other matters, she quickly brought her arm back and elbowed him in the gut. Once his grip on her loosened from the blow she turned around and brought her knee up to collide with his groin. Free from his grasp, she quickly put some much needed distance between them. The revulsion she felt towards him was feeding her anger.

As the God laid there in apparent pain, Xena just looked at him with disgust. "I suggest you keep your hands to yourself." she said in a disdained tone. "I think this lesson is over."

Xena sheathed her sword and began to make her way back to camp leaving Apollo in the clearing. She didn't care that he was a God and knew that he could kill her in an instance but she was not going to just stand there and let him do as he pleased. She laughed to herself as she thought _**"Men...they are all the same. Always think they are entitled to something."**_

Apollo was in shock at her reaction as he watched her leave the small field. He couldn't place where, in his masterly crafted plan, what had happened to change her mood. She was responding to his touch he could feel it, she wanted him. He knew one thing for sure, she was a feisty one. As he picked himself up off the ground he couldn't help but already work up another master plan to get her to succumb to him. _**"And succumb she will."**_ he thought to himself as a big grin spread across his face. _**"It will be only a matter of time."**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Four years later...

Athena sat in her throne room in one of her temples seemingly lost in thought. She had a battle against Ares that day and she knew he always had a few tricks up his sleeve. She couldn't help the small grin that appeared on her face while thinking about how good it was going to be to defeat him. She finally had her new warriors trained and her newest asset was going to solidify her win against Ares later. Over the last couple of years she could see that Xena had a knack for coming up with different battle strategies if needed, so she could rely on her if anything went wrong. The way she would turn the tide at the last minute in battle to work in their favor still amazed her to that day. The War God was going to meet his match on the battle field and she couldn't wait to rub his face in the defeat.

"So what do you think of this one?" a bubbly voice asked interrupting her thoughts. She turned her attention to her sister.

"Isn't that the same one you've just showed me?" she asked her, looking confused since she had just answered this question a few minutes before.

"No, it is not the same one see." Aphrodite made the other dress reappear next to the one she was now showing Athena. "This one is more of a** rosy** pink. While this one…" she motioned to the one on her left "is more of a** light** pink."

"Aphrodite… they both look exactly the same to me." She said, once again looking at the dress on the right and then the one on the left. "I really don't know how you can tell the difference."

"Well I** can** and so can others. So which one is it going to be?" she gave her a big grin as she waited for her to choose.

"Tell me again why we are doing this?" Athena asked, slightly annoyed with the whole situation.

"Duh, like you can't wear that thing to your own party, 'Thena !" Aphrodite exclaimed, pointing to Athena's gold armor with disgust as if the thought of being seen in it was a crime.

"There's nothing wrong with what I am wearing." Athena retorted, glaring daggers at her for her comment. "Besides no one is going to care about what I am wearing."

Aphrodite held her hands up in surrender. "Fine if you don't want to take my advice about how to grab everyone's attention, then don't.

Athena was right about to respond to her when a flash of blue light appeared, leaving Ares himself in its place. She couldn't help but notice the cocky grin he had on his face. She couldn't wait to wipe it away later.

"What's this? Are we playing dress up before the big battle?" Ares took note of the countless dresses that were strung out on the couches. "Is this your big secret weapon you have been going on and on about, that will presumably help you win? Cause from where I'm standing you are going to have to do much better than this." he said while gesturing towards the couches.

Athena simply rolled her eyes at her brother's comment. "No Ares, you will find out soon enough what awaits you on the battlefield." a smile pulled at her lips as she could already taste the victory.

"Will I now?" he gave her a questioning glance. "I don't know about that, since I can already smell the victory…. Shall we put all curiosity to rest then? " he said while motioning for them to leave.

"Let's do that. I can't wait to wipe that smug look off your face." she got up from her throne and made her way to the middle of the room where Ares stood.

"Sorry Dite, looks like I won't be needing your assistance any longer." she didn't give her a chance to respond as both gods disappeared from the room.

**Xxxxxx**

The battle was raging in full glory in front of Ares as he watched his army slaughter Athena's. The rush he was getting from it was exciting him beyond words. Victory was his and he couldn't wait to see Athena's face once the battle was over. Whatever her well crafted plan was, it certainly was not working in her favor. Ares watched as his men continued to push Athena's forces back, but all of a sudden a reign of arrows started to flow down on his men.

The ones in the front, were immediately hit from the onslaught of arrows, never having a chance to escape. Once the rain of arrows stopped, his men began to reform their lines, struggling to push forward again. This minor slip up didn't seem to deter his courageous troops. Ares kept watching as they made their way further into enemy territory and he smiled big. But his smile quickly faded as he saw his men begin to lose their ground and start to be pushed back by the opposing army.

"What in Tartarus!" he bellowed as he saw Athena's forces regaining their ground. He quickly scanned the field to look for any opening his men could take. That attack from the arrows had left his defenses weak. Athena's forces seemed to had lured his men into thinking they were getting the upper hand. _**"That was quite clever."**_ he thought to himself.

Ares appeared next to his general. "You need to find the leader and bring them down." he said in a demanding tone. "Once they fall, their defenses will crumble."

"Yes My Lord." his general quickly replied and headed out to relay his orders. Ares watched him go and then disappeared.

He reappeared in the middle of the raging battle but stayed hidden from view. He wanted to see for himself who was responsible for this amazing tactic and then watch as they met their end. He scanned the field before him when a piercing war cry came from behind him. He turned around in time to watch as a raven haired beauty cut her way through his men. He instantly felt something stir in him as he watched her. The way she moved around her opponent and the grin that was on her face as she defeated them. She was enjoying this. Ares could see it, the fire that was shining in her eyes as she fought. He felt a slight shiver going through him at the power she was radiating with. A power that was begging to be released and he couldn't help but think how he would love to help her release that power.

Xena fought her way through the opposing army enjoying the rush she was getting from the battle. Her plan had worked perfectly and now the odds were in their favor. As she cut down an enemy soldier she felt a tingle go down her spine and a very distinct presence. She was confused by this feeling. She looked around the field but kept getting brought back to the same spot but there was nothing there. Not letting this interfere with her task she continued to push the army back. But she couldn't shake this presence as it seemed to follow her. She kept glancing to where she thought it was.

Ares watched as she continuously glanced in his direction. She seemed distracted by something. Having brought down another one of his soldiers she turned around and made her way to him. He was curious as to what she was doing as she came to stop a few inches in front of him. She stood before him breathing heavily as she carefully scanned the empty space up and down. The power that was coming off of her aura was simply stimulating. He had never felt anything like it before. He completely forgot about the raging battle that was going on around them. Ares begin to walk around her as he took her in. He watched as her head followed his movements as if she knew he was there. That thought intrigued him as no one had ever felt his presence when he was hidden in the ether. He circled her once and finally came to rest behind her. As if knowing that he had stopped moving she turned around to face him once again searching the empty space for some sort of sign.

He was convinced that she could feel him but he wasn't entirely sure. He moved to her side and watched as she cocked her head to the left as he did so. He reached his hand out to touch the air around her and she seemed to close her eyes at the contact as if anticipating his caress. They were both brought out of their trance by someone shouting.

"Xena, behind you!" one of her warriors shouted.

Ares quickly directed his gaze to his right where he saw one of his men with a raised bow aimed at her back. He immediately felt his rage build at the sight.

Xena turned around in a blink at the warning, just to see the soldier releasing the arrow from the bow. Knowing that she was not going to be quick enough to dodge it, she remained unmoved, seemingly accepting her fate and she closed her eyes. She should not have let herself get distracted. Waiting for an impact that never came, she opened her eyes and glanced down expecting to see the arrow sticking out of her chest. Nevertheless, what she saw confused her. The arrow seemed to have been halted right before it made contact with her chest and was now hovering in the air. She looked up at the soldier who had shot the arrow and noticed his bewildered expression. He couldn't believe it either. All of a sudden, the presence she had felt disappeared and the arrow fell to the ground. Quickly shaking herself out of her shock, she moved to dispatch the soldier who shot the bow who was still too stunned at what happen to retaliate.

**Xxxxx**

Thick black smoke was raising in the air as the battle was finally over. Ares and Athena stood on the hilltop watching as each of their armies collected their dead. Athena was overjoyed at having defeated Ares. She couldn't erase the grin off her face as she began to rub his nose in it.

"So how does it feel Ares to know that you lost to real warriors?" she was beaming as she tried to rub salt in the wound. "Like I was saying from the start, you and your pathetic excuse for an army was no match against my new warriors."

Ares was too lost in his own thoughts to give her a response. His mind was consumed with the woman from earlier. He let himself get distracted by her presence and that took his mind off of the battle. Something that had never happened to him before. He watched as she helped take the dead off of the field. He knew that if she had died today it would had swayed the battle in his favor. But when he saw that arrow get release he could not bring himself to let her die, so he stopped it. He didn't know why he had felt the need to protect her at that moment and just pushed it off to not wanting to see her die by a coward that had to shoot her in the back to stop her.

Xena was walking around the battle field offering what assistance she could. Feeling a pair of eyes glaring a hole in her back she turned around and looked up to the hilltop. She could see Athena standing there talking to someone she didn't recognize. She shifted her gaze to him and could see he wasn't paying any attention to what Athena was telling him. Their eyes locked together and they just stared at each other. Feeling the heat of his gaze Xena had to turn away from it. She started to think about the events of the day and that arrow. What had stopped that arrow from reaching its target she wondered. She knew that according to any natural laws of war, she was supposed to be among the dead right now but something or someone had stopped that arrow. And that presence she had felt earlier…. She knew someone was there and whoever it was must have stopped the arrow. She was confused about the whole situation.

Athena could see that Ares was lost in thought about something and saw that his stare was fixated on something. She followed his gaze to where Xena was standing. She looked back at her brother and she could clearly see the interest he had in her. She saw the slight grin that pulled at his lips as he continued to watch her. Not liking her brother's new fixation she quickly tried to put a stop to it.

"Oh no Ares, you stay away from my warriors." she hissed at him to get her point across.

Hearing the anger in her voice, Ares reluctantly shifted his gaze from the warrior in front of him and refocused on his sister. "Whatever do you mean?" he gave her a sly grin

" Your pathetic women warriors are worthless to me."

Athena just rolled her eyes at his answer. "I mean it Ares. She is off limits, stay away from her." she didn't wait for his response as she left him there.

Ares looked back at the warrior that had captured his full attention. He felt that strange feeling begin to stir in him again that he felt earlier when she was near. He couldn't quite figure out what it was but knew she was the cause of it. He thought back to what Athena told him moments ago and a huge smile appeared on his face. "….they don't belong on the battlefield." he continued out loud, watching as she walked away and got lost in the retreating army he took his leave, the whole time thinking of a way to put himself in her presence again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ares appeared in one of his temples. He began pacing back and forth, his thoughts consumed with this amazing woman warrior. She was good, that was as clear as daylight, and though her technique could use some work she had a lot of potential. With the right amount of training she could become... Ares immediately stopped his pacing at that thought. What was he thinking, he didn't train women warriors. They were never of any use to him. But there was something different about her and the fact that Athena had her, only made him even more jealous. He began the pacing routine again, still lost in his own thoughts, so lost that he didn't realize that he was no longer alone.

Aphrodite had appeared in a flash of pink light on a nearby couch second before. She lounged there for a moment watching Ares pacing back and forth a few feet away from her, deep in thought. She had never seen him this distracted before and wondered what could be wrong. Whatever it was, it sure must have been something big since he didn't even sensed her presence. She noticed that there was something different about him too, but could not quite figure out what it was that had changed in such a short amount of time. She continued to watch him, trying to figure out what it was.

In the meantime, the War God continued to pace as he thought about her.

" _**What is it about her?" **_he thought furrowing his brows. His mind then drifted back to earlier when he had watched her in battle. There was a passion and fire inside her that had simply captivated him. She clearly enjoyed what she was doing. He knew Athena would never be able to tap into half of the power that she possessed, she just lacked the skills to make her into the warrior he knew she could be. Again, he wondered why he even cared about that. His thoughts shifted to another moment during the battle, when she seemed to have felt his presence. He had no idea how she was able to do that. And the fact that she had distracted him…that was something else. He couldn't deny that she was a beauty, but at the end of the day, she was a mere mortal. To think that she had such an impact on him as to have him lose focus on the battle confused him.

In addition to all that, he couldn't forget her reaction to him. His presence had distracted her as well and nearly got her killed. He felt his anger grow as he thought about how his soldier almost killed her. Again, he wondered why it had bothered him so much. He thought of her face and her bright blue eyes. Her expression when he reached out to touch her aura. A smile formed on his face as he remember it… . Unwillingly, he began to rethink his silly code of not training women warriors. He couldn't seem to let this one slip through his fingers.

"She could be the exception." he said aloud still not knowing that he was no longer alone.

Aphrodite couldn't believe that Ares still hadn't noticed she was there. Usually, when someone showed up he knew.

_**'This must be major.'**_she said to herself with a low chuckle.

As she continued to watch him to see if she could figure it out what that was all about, she finally spoke. It intrigued her way too much that it had been a woman to capture the War God's full attention, to keep quiet. She wondered who it was.

"Who is she bro?" she asked him, hoping to get him to spill the beans.

Ares was startled a little that there was someone else in the room with him. He turned around to see Aphrodite lounging on his couch as if she owned the place.

"Dite! What in Zeus' name are you doing here?" he asked her with a bit of a bark. He didn't like not knowing she had been there and wondered how long she had been watching him.

Aphrodite simply smiled at him. "Can't a Sis just come and visit her favorite bro once in awhile?"

Her smile grew bigger.

Ares raised an eyebrow at her. "No." he told her firmly. She was up to something he could tell. She was being way too happy.

Aphrodite ignored his comment and continued to fish for information. "So.." she said in a inquiring tone "who is she and why are your thoughts consumed with her?" she questioned, giving him a bright smile.

Hating the fact that she was poking around, he decided to act as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "Who's who ?" he said, casting her a confused look.

Seeing that the answer she was looking for wasn't going to be offered willingly, Aphrodite stubbornly pushed more to get what she wanted.

"The girl that you were obviously thinking about. You didn't even notice I was here. She must really be something to have distracted you like that."

Ares frowned at the awareness that she had caught him off guard.

"There is no she. You must be imagining things."

Aphrodite shook her head at his ridiculous denial and decided to change the subject.

"So how did it go with Athena today?"

"It was off to a very promising start." Ares smiled as he remembered some scenes from the battle

"So does that mean that you won?" she could see she would have to drag the information out of him. He was never one for gossip.

Ares' smile faded as he remembered that he lost to Athena. But it didn't seem to bother him as much as it usually would since it was **her** that caused his defeat.

"No." he simply stated, refusing to give up any more details.

"No?" she asked in shock. "How could you not have won? I thought you had everything planned out to ensure your victory?"

"I got a little distracted and lost focus on the battle." he was getting annoyed with her questions.

"Wait, let me get this straight." she paused, completely shocked by the fact that **something** had distracted the God of War from a good battle.

"You... Ares, God of War lost focus in the middle of a battle against Athena?" she didn't give him a chance to respond as she kept on with the questions more to herself then to him. "How could that be? I mean it must of really have been something for you..." her words died on her tongue as she began to make the connection. He was distracted when she first got here and over a **woman** of all things.

A smile began to form on her face.

"Did this distraction have anything to do with the woman you were thinking of earlier?" This made her want to know who this woman was even more if she had managed to make her big bro lose focus in a battle, especially one against Athena.

"As I said before, there is no she. You are going delusional." Ares did not want to have this conversation with her so he tried to change the subject. "So is there a real reason why you came here? Don't you have a hair appointment or something to get to?" he asked hoping she will take the bait.

As if being snapped back to reality, she completely changed her mood. "Oh Zeus, yes I do have some place to be." she had a bit of urgency in her voice. "But I seem to have a little problem."

Hoping that if he could help solve her problem it will get her to leave sooner, Ares inquired:

"What might that be?" he said, trying to show some interest.

"Well there is this party and I need someone to go with.." but she never got a chance to finish.

Ares interrupted her not liking where this new topic was going. "Stop right there. I don't do parties." He turned away from her and made a goblet of wine appear in his hand.

"Oh come on Ares! I know you hate her and now she has this win over you to gloat about, but Athena said I could bring whoever I wanted and since you never get invited I thought I could change that." she said with a bit of a plea. She was hoping she could convince him to go. She didn't like that their family always excluded him from everything.

Bringing the goblet up to his mouth, Ares stopped mid way at the mention of Athena's name. His thoughts immediately went back to her. "A party for Athena huh?" he asked. _**'Maybe she will be there.'**_he thought to himself. He turned back around to Aphrodite. "Who is going to be at this party?" He asked her with some interest in his tone.

Seeing that she had his undivided attention, Aphrodite replied

"Oh you know the usual. There is Zeus, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Hermes, maybe some priestesses since it is at her temple, possible worshippers and her elite warriors are always there."

A small smile spread on the War Gods face as he finally heard what he wanted. _'__**She will be there.**_**' **Making the goblet disappear he came closer to his sister. "Alright Dite , I guess a little fun had never hurt anyone"

Aphrodite bounded off the couch and hugged Ares. "Oh you won't regret it Ares I swear. We are going to have so much fun. You just wait and see."

Still a bit uncomfortable with his sister's embrace, Ares peeled her away from him.

"Ok... enough of that….When do we leave?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Shortly after their little chit chat, Ares and Aphrodite appeared in Athena's temple in Athens. Aphrodite hooked her arm through Ares' and smiled widely as he gave her a stern glare for having once again plastered herself to him. She didn't seem to mind his reaction though. They soon began walking around… the party was in full swing. Ares grabbed a goblet of wine from a passing tray and began drinking it slowly. He let his eyes scan the room searching for one particular person.

"We are going to have so much fun." she stated on her usual, bubbly tone. She then looked up at Ares with a huge grin on her face , just to see that he was once again, terribly distracted. She sighed, noticing that he pretty much looked like he did before when they were at his temple. _**'What has gotten into him?**_' she questioned herself.

"So do you want to mingle around a bit, dance?" she asked excitedly as she looked out at the festivities. Not getting an answer she turned her gaze back up at him and saw he still had his eyes on the crowd as if he had been searching for something specific. She cast a discreet glance around in the direction that he is looking to see if she could find what had managed to preoccupy his mind to that extent.

She furrowed her brow as she came up short. She sighed heavily not really seeing how a few drunken worshippers could keep him distracted like that. A devious grin began to form on her face though as she thought up a way to capture his attention.

"You know Ares, considering the amount of wine running around this place, you might be able to persuade some of Athena's priestesses to let you have your way with them."

She smiled big, thinking that if anything would capture the War God's attention that had to be it. Her smart smile quickly faded nonetheless, when she saw that he was still too engrossed on finding whatever it was that was eluding him at the moment.

She kept trying to solve the puzzle , when, all of the sudden, everything seemed to snap into place for her. His reaction back at his temple when she questioned him about his distraction, the battle with Athena, his unexpected change in attitude and willingness to come with her to the party only after he had learned who was going to attend it. …She couldn't help the smile on her face as the puzzle was finally solved.

_**'He might be in denial but there is definitely a she.'**_ she thought to herself.

She quickly began to realize that the woman in question had to be one of Athena's warrior's. _**'No wonder she was able to capture his attention like that. She's a lethal beauty.'**_ She couldn't wait to finally meet her.

Despite having heard his sister's questions , he was way too busy with scanning the crowd to give her an answer. As for her snide comment about having to persuade the priestesses….he just feel the need to chuckle at it's naivety… as if those bimbos needed much persuading in the first place. It wasn't until he heard his name get called with anger that he stopped his scanning and turned in the direction that the voice came from. He rolled his eyes slightly seeing Athena approaching them.

_**'Here we go.**_' he thought as he mentally prepared himself to go a few rounds with her.

The Goddess of Wisdom was obviously furious that Ares had dared showed up to her party. She certainly did not put him on the guest list.

"Ares did you not get your butt whipped enough earlier?" she asked with a sly grin. "I thought for sure you would be in one of your temples somewhere licking your wounds after the defeat your army suffered at the hands of my warrior's."

"Gee it's great to see you too sis." he bit back sarcastically, rolling his eyes and shaking his head with disgust and looking away the following second.

Not wanting the situation to escalate, the Love Goddess tried to ease the tension between them.

"He's with me Athena. I invited him."

Suddenly, Athena turned her attention to Aphrodite. "Why would you do that?" she asked in surprise, not having expected for her to actually bring him there.

"Well.." she started in a happy tone "you did say I could bring anyone I wanted to the party so I said to myself 'self who do you want to bring?'" she turned and moved her hand up and down Ares' back.

Athena let out an annoyed sigh not entirely pleased with the situation.

"Fine! But if he causes any trouble it will be on you, Dite."

Aphrodite nodded her head in agreement. Athena gave Ares one last glare before she turned and left them.

"I do enjoy heart to heart talks." Ares said to Athena's retreating back.

Aphrodite shook her head at him. "Be nice, I don't think I could survive the punishment if you did something wrong." she said.

"Relax Dite, what's the worse she could do to you ? Cancel a hair appointment? It's not the end of the world."

Aphrodite gasped at this realization. "Oh Gaia I didn't even think of that." she said on a depressed tone , as if that would have been the death of her.

Ares just shook his head at her, refusing to believe that she could be so air headed at times.

Snapping out of her depression, she finally saw someone in the crowd that caught her eye.

"Oh look there's Heph. I'm going over to say hi."

As she walked away, Ares couldn't help the slight chuckle. One moment she acted like her world was falling apart and the next she was as right as rain.

He then returned his gaze back to the crowd, once again searching the faces amongst it.

_**'She must be here somewhere**__.'_ he thought as he furrowed his brow. He began to get a little disappointed and annoyed. He came all this way and put up with Athena for longer than he was willing to, for nothing. He was beginning to count his loses and leave when a small pocket in the crowd opened up, finally revealing to him what he had been looking for. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he finally caught a glimpse of her. She seemed to be deep in thought about something.

Ares watched her carefully for a couple of seconds. She looked bored and irritated. He looked on as a hand appeared and started to caress her on the shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts. His smile immediately dropped at this new turn of events. He could see the look of disgust on her face as she shrugged it off. The crowd opened up more now, revealing Apollo sitting next to her, practically leering at her. He didn't like the way he was slowly inching his way closer to her.

He began to feel his rage build in him at the sight of Apollo and his unwelcome advances towards her. He scowled as he watched him attempting to touch her again, but was met with the same reaction as before. He could see that she was getting fed up with him.

_**'I think it's time we finally meet.'**_ he thought to himself. He disappeared from where he was standing to appear beside the pair on the couch. He stayed hidden from view so he could listen to what Apollo was ranting about.


End file.
